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MITMH2022
Public Access

Solution to This or That

New You City

Answer: CAMEO IN AN MCU MOVIE
by Kah Kien Ong

The theme of this puzzle is alternates, as clued by the title. The answer to each clue has an alternate answer with the same meaning that is used in British English instead. This is also hinted by the flavortext phrase "where you're coming from". Each pair of answers fit a given pair of cell enumerations, which are in alphabetical order of the American English answers on the left. The indexed letters from each pair form the last name of the alter ego of a DC Comics character. The corresponding DC character name has the same length (and word breaks) as the words in its clue, which serves as a confirmation. Furthermore, each clue uses an instance of the word "this" or "that", and extracting the corresponding letters from those positions in the DC character names, in the given order, gives the clue phrase "ALTERNATE IN MARVEL". The table below summarizes these steps:

Letter in Position DC Character / Alter Ego Clue / American English answer - British English answer
A DOCTOR FATE Closed-body car with separate storage compartment, like that Hyundai Elantra
(KENT) NELSON
4S 2E D A 6N
S A 3L 5O O 1N
L CLAYFACE Do this to an electrical device for safety
(MATT) HAGEN
3G R O U 5N D
4E 2A R T 1H
T ELONGATED MAN Single-piece short-sleeve legless garment for infant that fastens together, around the crotch
(RALPH) DIBNY
O 4N E S 2I E
3B O 1D 5Y S U I T
E RED LION Take this route, to circle a city
(MATTHEW) BLAND
1B E 2L T W 3A Y
R I 4N G R O A 5D
R BRAINIAC Number that is not available in phone book
(VRIL) DOX
U N L I S T E 1D
E 3X - D I R E C T 2O R Y
N SWAMP THING To amplify voices over distances, you can use this device
(ALEC) HOLLAND
B U 3L L 1H O R 6N
L 2O U 7D H 5A I 4L E R
A THE FLASH Fuel for engines, you get this from pumps
(BARRY) ALLEN
G 1A S O 3L I 5N E
P 4E T R O 2L
T DEADSHOT Soft towel for cleaning one's face is this
(FLOYD) LAWTON
3W A S H C L 5O 4T H
F L 2A N 6N E 1L
E DARKSEID What men might wear to that fancy event
UXAS
T 1U 2X E D O S
D I N N E R J 3A C K E T 4S
I DOCTOR POLARIS When someone goes overseas for leisure, you can call it by this term
(JOHN) NICHOL
V A 3C A T I 5O 1N
4H O 6L 2I D A Y
N GREEN ARROW Stand and wait in this, when you go get something
(OLIVER) QUEEN
L I 5N 3E
1Q 2U E U 4E
M ATOM Tenants live in this
(RAY) PALMER
A 1P A 6R T 4M 5E N T
F 3L 2A T
A AQUAMAN This large heavy motor vehicle transports goods
(ARTHUR) CURRY
T 4R 2U 1C K
L O 3R R 5Y
R CYBORG One person can play this game
(VICTOR) STONE
1S 3O L I 2T A I R E
P A T I E 4N C 5E
V VIKING PRINCE This kind of large advertising structures — they are often found along roadsides
(JON) HARALDSON
B I 5L L B 8O 2A R 6D S
1H O 4A 3R D I 9N G 7S
E BUMBLEBEE Terrine made from pig's noggin is known as this
(KAREN) BEECHER
H 6E A D 4C 5H E 3E S 2E
1B 7R A W N
L SOLOMON GRUNDY Switch on this just before changing lanes, and remember to switch it off
(CYRUS) GOLD
T U R N S I 1G N A 3L
I N 4D I C A T 2O R

Over the years, comic readers have noticed that DC Comics and Marvel Comics appear to have drawn inspiration from each other for some of their characters. These 17 DC characters all have a commonly acknowledged (and relatively familiar) similar Marvel character as alternates. This is also hinted at by the clue phrase "ALTERNATE IN MARVEL" extracted from their names. The table below summarizes the 17 Marvel characters matching each DC character.

DC Character Marvel Character (alternates)
DOCTOR FATE DOCTOR STRANGE
CLAYFACE SANDMAN
ELONGATED MAN MISTER FANTASTIC
RED LION BLACK PANTHER
BRAINIAC ULTRON
SWAMP THING MAN-THING
THE FLASH QUICKSILVER
DEADSHOT BULLSEYE
DARKSEID THANOS
DOCTOR POLARIS MAGNETO
GREEN ARROW HAWKEYE
ATOM ANTMAN
AQUAMAN NAMOR
CYBORG DEATHLOK
VIKING PRINCE THOR
BUMBLEBEE WASP
SOLOMON GRUNDY HULK

These 17 Marvel character names (omitting word breaks and hyphens) can be filled into the given final intersecting criss-cross grid, which provides a check and confirmation. The completed grid is shown below.

B
L
A
C
K
W A S P
A
N A M O R
T
M H
H A W K E Y E
N R
T
T H O R
I
S A N D M A N A
G I N
S T H A N O S
U L T R O N M
E A
D O C T O R S T R A N G E H
F U
A M L
N D E A T H L O K
T G
B A N
Q U I C K S I L V E R
L T T
L I O
S C
E
Y
E

Reading the shaded letters in grid order (L-R, T-B) gives the thematic answer to this puzzle CAMEO IN AN MCU MOVIE. Solvers are given further instructions on a task after submitting this answer.